The Southern Baptist Convention

A young friend recently asked about my thoughts concerning the future of the Southern Baptist Convention. Honestly, I haven't attended a SBC meeting since 1990 when the Convention met in New Orleans. That was the year the fundamentalists sealed control of the future of the SBC. Many refer to the takeover as the "Conservative Resurgence" which was suppose to save the Convention from the slippery slope of liberalism. I was in my first year of seminary (1979) when the pendulum began to swing in favor of the fundamentalists, and I remember hearing some rumblings on the New Orleans campus about Convention politics, but I really didn't start paying attention to Convention matters until the mid '80's.

I never really understood all the fuss about liberalism in the SBC. I attended a Southern Baptist college and seminary and never encountered what I would call a liberal professor. Most of my professors seemed to have a calling to teach, had a genuine concern for their students, and exhibited a true love for Christ. Perhaps among the many hundreds of college and seminary professors who taught in our institutions at the time there were a handful of liberals, but I never encountered one.

Thirty years have passed, and the SBC is in worse shape than ever. SBC churches baptized fewer people last year than in 1970, and for the past few years membership in SBC churches have began to show signs of decline. I realize that those who have supported the "Conservative Resurgence" would argue that things would be much worse if the "liberals" were still in charge. But that still does not change the fact that the "Conservative Resurgence" which was suppose to bring us back to our focus on evangelism and wining the lost to Christ has failed to produce.

I'm not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet, but here's where I see the future of the SBC heading:

1. I think the Great Commission Resurgence will fail to produce anything substantial. From what I read the GCR is an effort by some to "streamline" the denominational structure, including state conventions, so that more CP money can be used for missions and winning the lost to Christ. Although messengers to this year's convention overwhelming voted to support the GCR, I think the sticking points will come with implementation. I predict that state conventions are going to be reluctant to reduce staff and programming and that SBC entities are going to be unwilling to merge, etc. to make the GCR workable.

2. The SBC will continue to be divided by doctrine. Doctrine was never the unifying factor of the SBC. Churches which comprised the SBC cooperated together for the purpose of missions. Walter Shurden identified several "theological" strains that characterized SBC churches in the past. These churches were able to look beyond their theological differences and cooperate together for the cause of missions. The 2000 Baptist Faith and Message was the first confession of faith used by the SBC leadership as a creed. At the time, many thought it would settle doctrinal matters within the SBC once and for all. Missionaries and denominational leaders were required to sign the document. But the divide continues. With the rise of Calvinism in the SBC, those who hold to Landmark views have become increasingly more vocal. The divisions over doctrine will continue to widen.

3. The architects of the "Conservative Resurgence" and the old SBC guard will continue to wield influence. Although many of these leaders are beginning to age, I predict that they will not easily and willingly hand over the reins to younger leaders. The "Conservative Resurgence" was as much about control as it was anything, and those who took control are not about to hand over the leadership to others.

4. Younger SBC pastors (those under 40) will soon become even more disillusioned with the Convention. We see strong indicators of this even now, despite the fact that many younger pastors showed up this year in Louisville. Younger people have less ties to and little patience with denominational structures. Younger pastors will find more effective ways to network and partner for the purpose of missions and ministry.

5. The SBC will not disappear or even die in my lifetime. But the SBC will become less and less effective. The best days of the SBC are behind her.

Blessings,
Jimmy